Read Online The Citadel and the Wolves by Peter Goodman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Peter Goodman
Ads: Link
the sceptic: “John, you’ve been tracking this thing for sometime now yourself, we all have, through your own telescope. What do you think?”
Daddy is always saying that attack is the best form of defence.
“I-I think that it will remain in a harmless orbit around Mars,” answered the other hesitantly. He was unsure.
But one or two murmured in agreement.
Was daddy starting to lose the argument? I didn’t think so.
Daddy sighed. “I wish that were true, John, how I do, but you’ve seen it with your own eyes. You know in your heart that I’m right. The comet remains on a collision course with the earth. The velocity of Mars has simply accelerated its progress, which means that it will be here sooner rather than later.”
“Frank, is there any way that we can stop the rogue comet from hitting the earth?”
Daddy shook his head. “In science fiction, the boffins usually have all of the answers. They might suggest blowing it up with A-bombs.”
I saw the film on DVD, I thought. It starred…his name was on the tip of my tongue. He saved the world for mankind, but it isn’t like that in real life.
Daddy continued, “Even if the latter were possible, it wouldn’t stop the comet from impacting with the earth.”
“You’re painting a very bleak picture here, Frank,” commented someone at the back.
I agreed.
I suddenly saw a very bleak future ahead of me. I didn’t want to hear anymore of this. I covered my ears. Wendy glanced at me curiously.
Daddy began: “The situation is bleak for the whole of mankind, and we-”
“No, I don’t want to hear this!” I cried. “I don’t want to hear it.”
The others looked around startled when I leapt to my feet and fled from the room.
I’d calmed down by the time that I threw on my anorak and slipped outside in the back yard. I shivered as I gazed up at the cloudless, night sky. The stars sparkled like diamonds in the unchanging, dark heavens. It was a fine night for star and planet watchers. How would it all change after the comet? Although I tried not to think about comets, it was very difficult to do. Somewhere out there in deep space something big, dark and evil was approaching our world at over 50,000 kilometres per hour.
I fed Fred and Tessa, my pet rabbits. They are wonderful, charming and amusing, helping me to relax after a stressful day at school. Tessa, who’s a beautiful, snow white rabbit, is pregnant. Her litter is due any day now. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve promised a friend at school one. I opened the cage, letting Fred out for his run. He’s getting a bit plump, so he needs his regular exercise.
As I was putting away the rabbits’ feed stuff in the shed where daddy also keeps his tools and things, someone tapped me on the shoulder, making me jump. I looked around.
Wendy, who wore her pink ski top, grinned. “Did I make you jump, Sis?”
“No,” I lied.
She put her arm around me in an affectionate and sisterly kind of way.
“What’s up, Jade?” asked Wendy.
“Nothing,” I answered.
“You bolted out of the living room like a startled gazelle just now. Truth time, Jade Robinson.”
“I was feeling depressed listening to daddy and the others talking about the comet,” I admitted. “Wendy, doesn’t it bother you too?”
“Sis, I don’t let that sort of talk get to me. It doesn’t bother me. Perhaps because I don’t really understand what they’re talking about…most of the time.”
“You had your eye on the young one though, Wendy,” I remarked.
We laughed and forgot the comet briefly. Maybe Wendy was right.
After I’d rounded up Fred and put him away, Wendy and I went indoors. We vanished upstairs with a bottle of Coke, playing vid pop disks in her room to take our minds off things. Wendy painted my nails.
“You were eyeing up blondie, Jade,” said Wendy after awhile.
I was puzzled. “Who?”
“One of daddy’s astronomer friends.”
I shook my head. “Unlike you, Wendy, I simply am not
Daddy is always saying that attack is the best form of defence.
“I-I think that it will remain in a harmless orbit around Mars,” answered the other hesitantly. He was unsure.
But one or two murmured in agreement.
Was daddy starting to lose the argument? I didn’t think so.
Daddy sighed. “I wish that were true, John, how I do, but you’ve seen it with your own eyes. You know in your heart that I’m right. The comet remains on a collision course with the earth. The velocity of Mars has simply accelerated its progress, which means that it will be here sooner rather than later.”
“Frank, is there any way that we can stop the rogue comet from hitting the earth?”
Daddy shook his head. “In science fiction, the boffins usually have all of the answers. They might suggest blowing it up with A-bombs.”
I saw the film on DVD, I thought. It starred…his name was on the tip of my tongue. He saved the world for mankind, but it isn’t like that in real life.
Daddy continued, “Even if the latter were possible, it wouldn’t stop the comet from impacting with the earth.”
“You’re painting a very bleak picture here, Frank,” commented someone at the back.
I agreed.
I suddenly saw a very bleak future ahead of me. I didn’t want to hear anymore of this. I covered my ears. Wendy glanced at me curiously.
Daddy began: “The situation is bleak for the whole of mankind, and we-”
“No, I don’t want to hear this!” I cried. “I don’t want to hear it.”
The others looked around startled when I leapt to my feet and fled from the room.
I’d calmed down by the time that I threw on my anorak and slipped outside in the back yard. I shivered as I gazed up at the cloudless, night sky. The stars sparkled like diamonds in the unchanging, dark heavens. It was a fine night for star and planet watchers. How would it all change after the comet? Although I tried not to think about comets, it was very difficult to do. Somewhere out there in deep space something big, dark and evil was approaching our world at over 50,000 kilometres per hour.
I fed Fred and Tessa, my pet rabbits. They are wonderful, charming and amusing, helping me to relax after a stressful day at school. Tessa, who’s a beautiful, snow white rabbit, is pregnant. Her litter is due any day now. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve promised a friend at school one. I opened the cage, letting Fred out for his run. He’s getting a bit plump, so he needs his regular exercise.
As I was putting away the rabbits’ feed stuff in the shed where daddy also keeps his tools and things, someone tapped me on the shoulder, making me jump. I looked around.
Wendy, who wore her pink ski top, grinned. “Did I make you jump, Sis?”
“No,” I lied.
She put her arm around me in an affectionate and sisterly kind of way.
“What’s up, Jade?” asked Wendy.
“Nothing,” I answered.
“You bolted out of the living room like a startled gazelle just now. Truth time, Jade Robinson.”
“I was feeling depressed listening to daddy and the others talking about the comet,” I admitted. “Wendy, doesn’t it bother you too?”
“Sis, I don’t let that sort of talk get to me. It doesn’t bother me. Perhaps because I don’t really understand what they’re talking about…most of the time.”
“You had your eye on the young one though, Wendy,” I remarked.
We laughed and forgot the comet briefly. Maybe Wendy was right.
After I’d rounded up Fred and put him away, Wendy and I went indoors. We vanished upstairs with a bottle of Coke, playing vid pop disks in her room to take our minds off things. Wendy painted my nails.
“You were eyeing up blondie, Jade,” said Wendy after awhile.
I was puzzled. “Who?”
“One of daddy’s astronomer friends.”
I shook my head. “Unlike you, Wendy, I simply am not
Similar Books
